Colossalcon 16 set for this weekend at Kalahari

HURON TWP. — Pikachu, Sailor Moon, Deadpool and Goku all walked into a room together.But no, this isn't a set up for a corny joke. It's some of the many characters you can expect to see at ColossalCon 16.Taking place at Kalahari Resort's convention center Thursday through Sunday, ColossalCon unites people of all fandoms together for one weekend of excitement, cosplay and celebrating their culture."ColosssalCon started as a big anime convention, but as time evolved, it became more of a pop culture convention, even though anime is still the basis," ColossalCon representative Chris Yarborough said.The annual event draws upward of 20,000 people from all across the globe over the course of it' four days and provides ample entertainment opportunities for super fans and con novices alike.Among the wide variety of interactive events will be special panels that range in topic from instructional infotainment to video games, zombie survival, random fandom and some led by special guests. "As the years have gone on, we've expanded our connections and have been able to get some amazing special guests," Yarborough said.Among the special guests scheduled to appear this year include:• Dante Basko, best known for his role as Rufio in the Steven Spielberg 1991 film "Hook"• Jason Liebrecht, who is a renowned voice actor in the world of anime and video games• Sam Jones, who will forever be known to a generation as Flash Gordon.Another returning staple at ColossalCon is the game room that will feature more than 100 games, encompassing everything from classic arcade games to newer console games and even an innovative "Gundam" pod games from Japan that aren't yet available to the general public in the U.S.Con-goers can also browse hundreds of vendors and participate in themed photo shoots over the course of the weekend and attend the legendary ColossalCon dances, both formal and rave-like, that take place each night.New to ColossalCon this year is the addition of live wrestling, presented by Mega Championship Wrestling. On Friday night, there will be close to 20 matches taking place from 6-10:30 p.m.Another new addition is the after-hours water party taking place in Kalahari's water park. While typically the water park is closed to guests after 8 p.m., on Friday and Saturday night only, it will remain open specifically for con attendees."A lot of conventions are geared toward the special guests and costumes, but ColossalCon is more about getting together, meeting new people and having fun," Yarborough said. "I think that's what sets us apart from other cons."Tickets to ColossalCon 16 will be available at the door. A four-day pass is $65 and day passes are $22 for Thursday, $35 for Friday, $40 for Saturday and $25 for Sunday.A full schedule of events with additional information about each individual event, special guests, cosplay and a map can be found online at colossalcon.com."If you come to ColossalCon and don't find something you were remotely interested in, I would be amazed," Yarborough said. "There really is something for everyone."ColossalCon 16 takes place June 1 through June 4 at Kalahari Convention Center in SanduskyColossalCon 16 takes place June 1 through June 4 at Kalahari Convention Center in SanduskyColossalCon 16 takes place June 1 through June 4 at Kalahari Convention Center in SanduskyColossalCon 16 takes place June 1 through June 4 at Kalahari Convention Center in SanduskyColossalCon 16 takes place June 1 through June 4 at Kalahari Convention Center in Sandusky